A year after the accident that killed the NBA player and his daughter Gigi, Kobe Bryant’s widow responded to an old tweet that the “Westworld” star wrote
Vanessa Bryant is at a very delicate moment in her life after the loss of her husband, Kobe Bryant, and her daughter ‘Gigi’ just over a year ago. However, there are several who still try to tarnish the image of the basketball legend, to whom she does not hesitate to respond. On Saturday she attacked actress Evan Rachel Wood – who accused Marilyn Manson of sexual assault – for calling her late husband Kobe Bryant a “rapist” on the day of his death.
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Hours after news broke of the basketball legend’s tragic death in a helicopter crash with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others on January 26, 2020, the star of the series “Westworld ” tweeted:
“What has happened is tragic. I am heartbroken for Kobe’s family. He was a sports hero. He was also a rapist. And all these truths can exist simultaneously.”
Vanessa, 38, responded in her Instagram story to the actress’s message. “Your tweet is false, insensitive, defamatory, and slanderous. It’s vile and disturbing to say the least,” the NBA player’s widow wrote about a screenshot of the original tweet. “Behavior like this is part of the reason innocent black men go to jail for crimes they didn’t commit. An accusation does not make anyone guilty. “
“You do not know the facts of the case,” added the woman, who also sent the same message to film producer Abigail Disney, who tweeted at the time: “The man was a rapist.”
Kobe was charged with sexual assault in 2003 by a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado. Prosecutors dropped the charges after she refused to testify. She later filed a civil case that was settled out of court in 2005.
At first, Bryant denied having had sexual relations with the complainant. Sometime later, when they informed him that there was DNA tests that confirmed the contact, he admitted the fact, although he assured that it “was consensual.”
When the case became public, Bryant posted a $ 25,000 bond to return to Los Angeles and held a press conference to give his side of the story. He did it together with his lawyers and his wife, who had given birth to the couple’s first daughter, Natalia. “I did not force her to do anything against her will, I am innocent,” he said in that meeting before the media that took place at the Staples Center, the home of the Lakers. “I am furious with myself for having made the mistake of adultery,” he added, making it clear that what really hurt him was having broken the engagement with his wife.
The accusation made by the young woman from the hotel was forceful. According to her account, Bryant kissed her upon entering the room and she agreed. Then he tried to have sex and she refused and tried to leave, but Kobe wouldn’t let her. He began to touch her and, before the woman’s refusal, took her by the neck. By using force, he penetrated her. Even when she repeatedly yelled no and tried to get away, he grabbed her by the nape and neck.
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What followed in the months was a stream of accusations against the victim and the spread of comments about her personal life that made headlines in the media. Her name came to light and private details unrelated to the judicial process were also made public. In September 2004, the US Justice dismissed the trial against Bryant because the young woman was unwilling to testify.
The civil case continued but was closed in 2005 after Bryant and the complainant reached an economic agreement. Although this was never officially disclosed, it is estimated that the athlete paid him USD 2.5 million in damages.